Kolja Warnecke is a freelance Photographer from Hamburg, Germany. At a young age, he already produces work that is a great source of inspiration. His photos show a beautiful perspective of the world and of people. Get to know more about his ideas, inspirations, and passion in this interview.
We'd like to know more about you. Can you tell us more about yourself?
I´m a freelance photographer, photo-assistant and student in communication-design with the specification in photography at the University of Applied Science Hamburg, Germany.I work for some Magazines, Newspapers and as a freelance photoassistant. In my study at the University I concentrate on Photography and have the time and possibility to trial and error all photography aspects and topics. For me its really important to get that possibility and do things I can´t try in the normal job-life.
What influenced you to become a photographer?
I think in the year 2003 I got my first digital camera, a Sony Cybershot compact-camera for Christmas. One week later I was travelling to Paris and got my first consciously shot pictures. Of course the pictures were really really bad. After my discovery of Photoshop I read many tutorials and started to improve my pictures.But I got better and better, first and foremost through a small online fotocommunity called deviantphoto.eu. It was a familiar place, the people knew each other and you could get really good critics on photography and not only the standard answers you get in many other communities like "nice picture" or "really beautiful". Retrospectively it was the best place to advance in photography and develop my "photographic eye".
After a few years it was clear for me to become a photographer.
After my graduate at the highscool I worked as an intern in the photo-editor department of the German Men´s Health and Best Life. I got my first professional contact with photography which strenghthend my will in becoming a photographer.
Emotions are said to be an important aspect of photography. How crucial is this element for you as a photographer?
Emotions are strong in photography, yes. More in the photojournalism as in fashion I think. In fashion or commercial works it´s more about to activate the emtions of the target audience. In this area it´s the art to form and create this emotions.In photojournalism its more about to observe the scenery, to analyze and find the right moment to press the trigger and take the picture. And of course to choose the right picture that you think is transporting the wanted emotions out of the pictures you took.
In the last time at the university I was pretty much engaged in the theoretical aspects of a portrait picture. As a viewer of a portrait photograph of any person I analyze the picture and think about the whole little world in the picture. How is the person looking? Sad, happy, angry, or do I even see the face? What might be his character. What is he doing there, and why. Where is the portrait taken? Out of these facts I build my own world of this person or scenery and the emotions I transport from the picture into the world I build out of it. This imaginary world I create as a viewer might not be the real and right one, but it gets me an answer on the picture.
In this field emotions are playing a really important role for me and in photography in general.
Does the people/scenery you capture influence you as a photographer?
Of course, yes. In the field of photojournalism or reportage, like I said, I observe the whole scenery and get into it. I´m walking around in this world and react on the happenings by pushing the trigger.
What tools of the trade do you use most often?
Mostly my camera, but it doesn´t matter, which one I use to create good pictures.Ok, maybe a bit more exactly ;-) :
I most often use a Nikon d300 camera and a 35mm lens, which is plugged onto a crop camera a really good standard focal length. I don´t need so much more than this and mostly available light. I´m not that big fan of flash lights or reflectors.
But sometimes I use a 10-20mm lens, which makes really big fun to photograph with.
The Parcour pictures I took were shot with this lens to show the surreal perspective and the dynamic of this sport.
Can you tell us more about your work, "Over the bridge"? What was your experience in shooting Istanbul?
It was in 2008 I planned to do a trip to Istanbul. I have known quite nothing of this city with an official population of more than 16 mil.. All I knew was the tales and sceneries of old films and photographs showing Istanbul or the Orient. I was imagining that Istanbul is still the old mythical place that´s standing still in time. On my arrival I immersed in the city, the flair and the emotions I got of it. Of course, my cliche of the city wasn´t confirmed. Many tourists, noise, dirt, not much of the glamorous mythical place I was expecting. But in my pictures I tried to show my personal imagination of the Orient and the difference to today's pulsating, urban and modern city. The conflict between the old conservative and traditional lifestyle stands against the modern more European influenced style of living. On the Eastside of the Town you see more women with shawls and on the other side in the modern part you see women dressed like in any other western country. It´s a really interesting clash of two cultures. And thats the reason, why I called this work "Over the Bridge".Later home I edited the pictures to underline my intention. And yeah, thats what came out. :-)
Yeah, this work became really beautiful. I shot the Parcour series in order of a chaplancy magazine called JS which when translated means "young soldiers".
The clue of the dynamic is of course, the wide-angle lens I used, and the weather conditions. Bright sky without any clouds and a deep blue. The area in which we shoot is a really strange place. It´s a part of Hamburg where nobody lives, there are only many office buildings and on Sundays you can not find any human soul there, instead of some angry security workers, who are not very amused about the Parcour-Runners.
A few weeks later I wanted to repeat the shooting, but the weather was more cloudy and the light was more uninteresting. Well, it was a good portion of luck, that this work became so dynamic and interesting.
What message do you want to bring out in your photographs?
The message? Be interested in other people, cultures, views and emotions you can transport in a visual work.
Do you have any new projects that you're working on right now?
A few weeks ago I was going on a two week trip through Iceland, and I´m still working on handling this great impressions. A collection of pictures, you can view on my Homepage in the Archive. Otherwise I want to concentrate more on portrait and travel photography. We´ll see what arises in the future.
Any advice for our readers?
Keep exploring, keep learning, keep being interested in people, sceneries and your personal progress.And don´t think that you need the best equipment on trade to create good visual artworks!!
peace
![interview_16[1]](http://photoshoptutorials.ws/images/stories/da39f046398f_15058/interview_161.jpg "interview_16[1]")
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